Keith Oatley BA, PhD, FRSC, FBPsS, FACS
Date, place of birth: 16 March 1939 in London, England
Citizenship: Citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom
Office address: Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development
University of Toronto
252 Bloor Street West, Toronto M5S 1V6, Canada
Phone: 416 961 7969
e-mail keith.oatley [at] utoronto.ca
University education
1958-61 Clare College, Cambridge
Natural Sciences Tripos Part I, (Anatomy, Physiology,
Biochemistry, Pathology) Class 2-i
Natural Sciences Tripos Part II, (Psychology) Class 1
Awarded Scholarship of Clare College
Degree: B.A. (Cantab) June 1961
1961-62 University College Hospital Medical School
1962-64 University College London, Department of Psychology.
Medical Research Council Training Scholarship
Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology on Thirst and drinking mechanisms
supervised by Dr. I.S.Russell, external examiner Prof. Robert Hinde.
Degree: Ph.D. (London) in Psychology, May 1965
1964-65 Imperial College London, Department of Electrical Engineering, Medical Research Council Training Scholarship
One-year postdoctoral course in Engineering in Medicine with Prof.
B.McA.Sayers; project on computer simulation of cochlear mechanisms
Current position
Professor Emeritus, Department Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto
Previous posts
1965-66 National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, England
Senior Scientific Officer in the Autonomics Division
1968, July-Sep University of Chicago, Research Consultant in Department of Mathematical Biology
1971-2 & 1977-8 University of Toronto, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology
1967-1986 University of Sussex, Lecturer in Experimental Psychology
1986-1990 University of Glasgow, Professor of Psychology, & Associate Investigator, ESRC Human Communication Research Centre
1991-1996 Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
1996-2004 Professor, Department of Human Development & Applied Psychology, University of Toronto; Chair of Department Sept.1999 to Aug. 2002
From 1991 Cross-appointed to Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Member of University College, University of Toronto
Full member of University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies
Member, formerly Head, of the Centre for Applied Cognitive Science
2004-2007 Director, Cognitive Science Program, University College
Fellowships and honours
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Fellow of the British Psychological Society
Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science
President of the Psychology Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (1988/1989) and Vice President (1989/90)
Fellow of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research (Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung) Bielefeld, Germany, May 1990.
President from Jan 1992 to Dec 1996, International Society for Research on Emotions.
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1994, for Best First Novel.
Clinical work
I have trained in psychotherapy, 1979-1984, with the Philadelphia Association (Founded by R.D. Laing), and during my training I had clinical supervision from R.D.Laing, John Heaton, Anthony Ryle, and Nancy MacKenzie. At the end of my training I became an Associate of the Philadelphia Association. I worked for five years as a therapist (half a day per week) at the University of Sussex Health Centre, and led groups for the University Counselling Service. I was an honorary member of Brighton Health District Clinical Psychology Department, and have designed and conducted clinical trials of different kinds of psychotherapy, including dynamic and cognitive-behavioural therapy. I was trained by Tom Craig on the Present State Examination for research diagnostic interviewing in psychiatric epidemiology, and by Tirril Harris on the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule.
Teaching
I have taught undergraduate courses in Psychopathology, Clinical and Personality Psychology, Perception, Cognitive Psychology, Planning and Social Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, and Emotions. I have also taught an MSc course in Human-Computer Interaction. I have extensive experience of lecturing to large and medium sized groups as well as leading seminar discussions. I have also taught small groups, and individually, both for course work and undergraduate projects. I have co-organized successful commercial courses on Human-computer interaction, and evaluation of human-computer interfaces. I have also been involved in designing distance learning material for the Open University, and have made training videos on principles of human-computer interaction. My most recent teaching commitments have mainly been at the graduate level: Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Psychology of Planning and Action, Thinking and Learning, Introduction to Educational Psychology. Psychology of Emotions, Research Methods, Cognitive Understanding of Narrative. For ten years I taught a course on creativity in the Creative Publishing Program at Humber College.